Students in Kirinyaga County have received a lifeline after the bursary and scholarship partnership between the county and national governments was cleared.
In a statement on Wednesday, January 14, Governor Anne Waiguru announced that the Intergovernmental Partnership Agreement (IPA) governing the bursary and scholarship programme has been cleared and forwarded to the Office of the Controller of Budget.
"We have good news. The bursary/scholarship Intergovernmental Partnership Agreement (IPA) have now been cleared.
"The documents have been forwarded to Office of the Controller of Budget (OCOB), which should clear the last hurdle and allow the County to access the funds. We thank all stakeholders for their participation and patience," she said.
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This comes weeks after Kirinyaga County signed the IPA with the Ministry of Education, allowing the resumption of bursary disbursements to students.
Disbursement of bursaries by county governments had been stopped last year by the Controller of Budget (CoB) over concerns that it contravened the constitution, which assigns universities, tertiary institutions, primary and secondary schools, and special education to the national government.
Speaking on Monday, November 17, Waiguru said the signing of the agreement will allow her administration to disburse Ksh126.5 million allocated for the 2025/2026 financial year.
"Understanding the challenge that was there in disbursing the bursaries in the financial year 2024/25, we have endeavored to solve that by signing the agreement and we expect the process of gazettement of the agreement to be finalized by the end of this month, ensuring funds are disbursed in time for school reopening," she said.
Waiguru added that once gazettement is completed, the county will continue managing the bursary program for students who have gone without support for a year.
"Through the County Bursary Program, we have cumulatively disbursed Ksh540.7 million to needy students, a kitty that we improved from Ksh49.1 million in 2017/2018 to Ksh146 million in 2023/24," she added.
At the same time, Waiguru highlighted the county’s investment in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) classrooms, which have been constructed and renovated to provide safe learning spaces.
She noted that enrollment in ECDE has increased from 13,280 learners in 2017 to 16,398 learners in 2025, with about 15,000 students receiving free school uniforms.
"The new facilities have been provided with furniture, water tanks and play equipment to enhance early learning," she further said.
Waiguru added that the absorption of teachers into the permanent and pensionable scheme has improved morale and service delivery at the centres.
"We have consistently replaced exiting ECDE teachers, equipped them with CBC-aligned teaching aids, and offered refresher courses, boosting classroom engagement and improving learner outcomes," she noted.
